Cable reel



CABLE REEL 2 Sheets-Sheet I Original Filed July 23. 1947 La INVENTQRS a@ f May 18 1954 R. w. ATKINSON Erm. 2,678,863

v CABLE REEL original Filed July 23, 1947 2 shets-sneet 2 lill 77 I l. wwwwwww w wwwwwww ATTORNEYS Patented May 18, 1954 CABLE REEL Ralph W. Atkinson.Westield, and Oscar G. Garner, Baycnne,'N.l J., assignors tn General Cable Corporation, New-York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Original applicationF July 23, 1947, Serial No.

763,002, now.Patent No. 2,616,780, dated November 4, 1952. Divided, and this` application March 17', 1950, Serial No. 150,328

8 Claims.

This invention relates to watertight reels forthe storage and Shipment of electric cables. The invention. is particularly adapted to reels for-the storage and shipmentof cableslwhich are to be pulled into a pipe and the pipe then filled with an insulating fluid, liquid or gaseous, which will be maintained' under pressure in excess of atmospheric.

` It is an object of the invention to provide an improved cable reel. Other objects and advantages ofthe invention will appear hereinafter.

This application isA a division ofv ourapplication Serial No. 763,002, led July. 23, 1947,` patented November 4,: 1952, No. 2,616,780, the claims of which are directed toa method of preparing non-leaded, paper insulatedl cablesV forv storage and shipment.

vCables which are to b e installed inpipes generally are supplied in long lengths which are pulled into pipes previously laid in the ground. These cables commonly comprise one or more conductors insulated with oil-impregnated, laminated paper insulation and are provided exteriorly with one Vor, more skid or armor wires to protectV the cables against damage whileV they are being drawn intothe pipes and to minimize the pulling tensions required. In service the insulating fluid with which the'pipe is filled desirably enters and lls all spaces within the cable insulatiom but from the time, ofV its manufacture, during shipment and up to the time the cable is pulled into the pipe precautions must be, taken to prevent ingress of moisture into the cable insulation andF preferably the cable should be kept in Van atmosphere` of low and substantially constant relative humidity to prevent condensation of moisture on the exterior ofthe cable.

It has been the common practiceto protect cables intended for installation in a pipe line right up to the time `of installation by applying a temporary lead sheath at the factory andremoving the sheath at the time of installation, justA as the cable ispulledinto the pipe. That procedureV is time-consun'riing andv uneconomical. The lead sheath must .be applied .at the factory.v theshipping Weight. of the cable is greatly increased, ascompared to the weight of the cable without .the lead sheath, the lead. sheath. must be removed inthe eld and then the scrap lead must be returned tothe factory, or it may need be sent to the refinery for rening before it can be reused.

Arcopending application of Ralph W. Atkinson and Martin H. McGrath for Insulated Elecill 2. tric Power Cables, led July 23, 1947, Serial No. 763,001, assigned to the assignee of the present application, discloses an improved cable to beI tion sufliciently to prevent any material deterioration in the electric properties of the cable between the time its manufacture is completed and the time it is installed in thepipe line. Since the now-limiting layer willnot be removed when the cable is pulled into the pipe, the skid wires areapplied over the flow-limiting layer.

It will b e recognized that a flow-limiting covering which is fully adequate for this purpose as long as the cable 'is reasonably protected from the weather may prove to be inadequate if the cable is exposed in rainy weather for prolonged periods of time, or is allowed to stand in water. For this reason it is desirable that the cable be protected from the elements from the time of its manufact-ure until it is pulled into the pipe.

it will be recognized also that if the cable is exposed to the atmosphere there is danger ofA moisture condensing on the cable whenever the temperature falls. The presence of moisture on the exterior of the cable, whether condensed, or otherwise, will make it necessary either to dry the cable before it is pulled into the pipe, or to materially prolong the drying of the pipe line after the cablehas been pulled in. For this reason, cable which is to be pulled into a pipe desirably will bel shipped to the place of installation on a watertight reel in an atmosphere of low and substantially constant relative humidity. Ern.

ployment of a watertight reel, that is, one which is capable of retaining fluid pressure, will permitY the use o f cable coverings which couldnot be relied upon to protect the insulation against deterioration ifshipped on ordinary reels.

According to the present invention, a watertightreel is provided which permits storage and shipment` ofthe cable fully protected from the atmosphere and the elements, which` permits llingthe space within thereel around the cable with a dry inert` gas atthe factory andV whichV permits maintaining the gas under pressure above 3 atmospheric. All of this may be accomplished without material increase in the size of the reel and without prohibitive increase in its weight.

The invention will be best understood from the following description when read in the light of the accompanying drawings showing a specific embodiment of the invention selected merely for descriptive purposes.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a reel, portions of which have been broken away to disclose the construction in section;

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the reel looking from left to right at the reel shown in Figure 1, a portion of the near head of the reel being broken away to disclose the construction more clearly; and

Figure 3 is a section to enlarged scale substantially on the line 3 3 of Figure 2.

As may be seen in Figures 1 and 2, the reel of the illustrative embodiment comprises a pair of circumferentially flanged reel heads II and I2 secured to the ends oi a drum i3 by a plurality of rods 2l which extend from one end of the reel to the other through the reel heads and the interior of the drum. Each reel head comprises a channel shaped circumferential flange I4 and a tubular hub l5, the flange and hub being connected by radially disposed angle irons I6, lpreferably all welded together. Each reel head is lined with an annular metallic disk il which is welded at its outer edge I8 to the flange lli and, if desired, to the angle irons I6.

The annular disk I'I is continuously welded at its inner edge I9 to the drum i3. In the illustrative embodiment the drum I3 is a continuous metal cylinder having reinforcing flanges or rims 2B welded thereto at its ends. The rods 2I which secure the reel heads on the drum may be reduced in diameter at their ends and screw threaded, as shown. Each screw threaded end 22 extends through holes in the drum rim Z9, the metallic lining disk Il and one of the radially disposed angle irons I6. Nuts screwed on the ends of the rods 2| against the ang-le irons l5 hold the reel heads iI-I2 firmly on the ends of the drum I3.

Since the annular disks II which line the reel heads are continuously welded at their inner edges to the ends of the drum I3 the reel conu stitutes a watertight annular receptacle in which cable may be wound. It will be understood that the mechanical structure of the reel may be varied considerably as long as the drum is provided exteriorly and the reel heads interiorly with a covering or coverings of material substantially impervious to moisture, the drum covering and the head linings being continuously united so as to provide a watertight receptacle for the cable.

Each of the reel heads II and I2 of the illustrative embodiment is provided with an additional flange, 23 and 24, respectively, which is secured on the inner face of the head slightly inwardly from its outer edge and outside the space which will be occupied by the outermost layer of cable when the reel is fully loaded. These additional flanges extend entirely around the heads and are secured thereto ina suitable watertight manner. For reasons which will appear hereinafter these flanges preferably have circumferentially grooved outer surfaces. In the illustrative embodiment, as is more clearly shown in Figure 3, the flange comprises an angle iron which is continuouslyvwelded to the metal liner Ill of the reel head. A channel or other suitable shape might be similarly employed.

Mounted within that portion of the reel which is to receive the cable, at one end, desirably will be a cable end support 25. This is a ramp-like support for the inner end of the cable which will leave the inner end of the cable available for testing and the like after the cable has been wound on the reel. n the illustrative embodiment the cable end support 25 is formed from sheet metal and is secured in position adjacent the reel head II by welding, its edges being continuously welded to the cable drum I3 and the lining Il of the reel head.

The cable end support 25 may be used also to hold moisture absorbing material, for example silica gel, when the reel is in use. In order for the silica gel to remove moisture from the space surrounding the reeled cable it is necessary that the cable end support 25 be provided with one or more openings into the interior of the reel. These openings 26, three of which are shown, desirably are covered with Wire screens which may be welded or soldered in place.

Access to the interior of the cable end support 25 from the exterior of the reel for the purpose of inserting and removing the moisture absorbing material will he through an opening 2T, shown square, out in the lining I'i of reel head II. The silica gel or other moisture absorbing material may be contained in small cloth or paper bags for convenience of insertion and removal. The opening 2".' in the reel head will be sealed tight with a sheet of metal soldered or otherwise secured in watertight manner to the annular disk I'I after the moisture absorbing material has been inserted. If desired, this metal closure may be provided with a window to permit visual inspection of a humidity indicator contained within the cable end support.

One or both of the reel heads are provided with small pipe plug openings 28 for flushing or evacuatlng and lling the interior of the cable reel with an inert gas, as will be described hereinafter. Desirably these openings will be located in diametrically opposed portions of both heads of the reel to insure more complete flushing of the reel.

It has already been pointed out that the reel of this invention provides a watertight annular rceptacle for receiving the cable. In winding the cable on the reel the inner end of the cable will be trained down the ramp-like support 25 to the surface of the drum i3 and the cable then will be coiled about the drum back and forth in overlying layers between the annular disks I'I. The outermost layer of cable will not extend radially outwardly from the drum beyond the flanges 23, 24. In Figure l of the drawings the cable is shown at 4Q, but only a few turns of cable are shown in order that the construction of the reel may be better disclosed. After the cable has been wound on the reel, and the outer end of the cable secured, the cable will be covered with a blanket or layer of flexible material which is substantially impervious to moisture. If in the form of a wrapping, its ends will be sealed together. The edges of the impervious blanket or layer will be sealed to the reel heads, thus completing a watertight enclosure for the reeled cable.

The flexible material of the impervious blanket and its method of sealing to the reel heads may vary considerably within the present invention. One material which is light in weight and which hasA been found entirely suitable for the purpose 51. comprisesl a metallizedfabric. Specically, a fabric backing made of cotton or other fibrous material has secured thereto by a synthetic resinous material, such'as a polymerized vinyl resin, acontinuous layer of metal foil, for example aluminum.

A- wrap 2.? of the flexible material will beA placed around the cable reel, with the metal surface inwardlyl if metallizedfabric is used, and the ends of the wrapping will-be brought together and sealed with a suitable adhesive, paraffin or the like. The sealed ends then will be folded back on themselves one or more timesand this fold thoroughly treated with parafnn or other sealingmaterial.

The edges of the wrapping extend over thecircumferentially grooved anges 23-and 24, which have been heavily coated or lled with parann or` other suitable sealing material. The edges of the wrapping 2S then are bound down into the grooves of the flanges 23 and 24, as by wires 3l which are tightly applied and which may be continuously maintained under tension by means of coil springs 32. Afterv the wires 3| have been applied the wires and the edges of the wrapping desirably are given an additional heavy coating of parain `er other suitable sealing and protectivematerial so as to reduce to a minimum the possibility of any leakage between the edges of the wrapping 29 and the ilanges 23 and 24.

Alternatively, the blanket 29 may comprise-a thin layer of metal, for example sheet lead, or corrugated sheet copper. The ends of the metal wrapping will be sealed together and the edges thereof sealed to the flanges 23 and 2B, or directly to the annular disks Vi, as by wiping, soldering or brazing.

Inanother form the blanket may be built up by spraying orotherwise applying directly on to the cable, or onto a suitablewebbing or backing layer i applied over the cable for that purpose, an im-- perviouswall of synthetic material. Thermoplastic materials such as the stripping compounds used for weatherproong metalparts for ocean shipments are suitable, for example, vinylidine chloride, and they can berapplied by dipping, by pouring, or by a brush, as well as by spraying, until built up to the desired thickness. Sealing engagement with the reel heads can be assured by coating the inner faces ofthe heads with glue orother adhesive material available for that purpose.

After the impervious blanket 29 has been applied and sealed in place to complete the watertight enclosure for the cable a relatively inflexible weathertight outer covering is applied to the reel which also affords mechanical protection to the impervious layer. This outer covering may comprise` a modification of the usual Wood lagging layer to make, it. highly resistant to penetration by water.

In the illustrative embodiment the reel is rst enclosed with a layer of compression lagging 33. The wood lagging strips completely encircle the reel, extending flush to the outer edges of the reel anges I8. The lagging strips are held in place by metal bands 34. Over this layer of lagging is applied a layer of sheet metal or other material 35 impervious or highly resistant to penetration by moisture, and over this a second layer of lagging Se, secured in place by metal bands 31. Desirably the joints between adjacent legs in the two layers are staggered with respect to each other, so as to make it more dicult for anyone who might try to push a 6T screw driver or other sharp object through` between.` two lags in the outer covering. The layer 35` desirablyk will be sheet iron, although other metals, orsuitablepaper or othery non-metallic material may be employed. This double layer ofl lagging with the intervening layer 35` serves to protect the inner sealing wrapping 29 against mechanical damage and also-serves as a weathertight covering to reduce the possibility that` rainfall or other water will reach the sealing wrapping 29;

Effectiveness of the reel covering 33-3l as a weathertight covering will be substantially improved by having the ends of the sheet metalf layer 351 extend beyond the ends of the wood' lagging. These projecting ends of the sheet metal on the reel and its ends secured. The imperviousblanket 29 then will be applied and sealed at its edges to the reel heads. Next the outer weathertight covering 33-3l will be constructed, completing the enclosure of the reel. After the opening 21 in the wall of the reel head Il has been temporarily sealed the reel Will be iillcd with a dry, inert gas such as nitrogen. Thisrcan beI accomplished either by flushing the reel out with nitrogen, or by evacuating and lling with nitrogen, connections being made for this purpose through the openings 28. The dew point off'the` gas within the reel should be such that there will be no danger of Water being deposited under temperature conditions to be encountered bythe reel. These openings 2S then will be sealed with pipe plugs. The temporary seal over the opening 2 then is removed and the space within the cable end support is lled with small bags of silica gel. If desired, a humidity indicator is inserted,` after which the opening 2l is sealed with a metal cover which may be soldered in place. If it is desired to place the cable under pressure above atmospheric this can be doneV by connecting a supply of nitrogen through'a suitable Yvalve inserted in one of the openings 28 and filling the reel with nitrogen to the desired pressure, which may be only slightly over atmospheric. The covering over the opening 2l and the plugs in the openings 28 will be coated with asphalt as a further sealing precaution.

When the sealed reel is lled with nitrogen `under pressure above` atmospheric it will dilate the impervious layer 29. Since the clearance between the layer 29 and the enclosing lagging layer 33 is small, dilation of the former will be limited by engagement with the latter, and the lagging will serve as a backing and reinforcement for the sealing layer. Under these conditions it will be necessary to select materials and dimensions so that the dilation of the sealing layer will not rupture the material or injure the seals between its edges and the reel heads.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the illustrative embodiments herein disclosed, but may be varied and embodied within the scope of the subjoined claims.

We claim z' 1. A weathertight reel for holding and shipping electric cables comprising, in combination, a pair of circumferentially ianged reel heads, a drum to which the heads are secured, said heads and drum together constituting a watertight annular receptacle for receiving the cable, cable wound on said reel, additional iianges secured on the inner faces of the heads spaced slightly inwardly from the circumferential flanges and outside the space occupied by the outermost cable layer, a wrapping of flexible material substantially impervious to moisture spanning the space between the additional flanges and encircling the reel over the cable, the ends of said wrapping being sealed together and the edges of said wrapping being sealed to the additional flanges, and an outer covering encircling the reel and secured to the said circumferential flanges to afford mechanical protection to the impervious wrapping.

2. A cable reel according to claim 1 in which the wrapping of flexible material is a metallized fabric and in which the ends of the wrapping are folded back on themselves and the edges of the wrapping are bound down on the additional flanges.

3. A cable reel according to claim 2 in which the wrapping of nexible material is a laminate material including a fabric backing and a metal foil bonded together throughout their extent by resinous material.

4. A. cable reel according to claim 1 in which the outer covering comprises a double layer of wood lagging strips and a continuous metal layer therebetween.

5. A weathertight reel for holding and shipping electric cables comprising, in combination, a pair of circumferentially flanged reel heads, a drum to which the heads are secured, said heads and drum together constituting a watertight annular receptacle for the cable, a narrow ramp-like support for the inner end of the cable secured fluid-tight to one of the reel heads and to the drum, the said support extending from the surface of the drum on a spiral curve and .f

terminating short of the outer periphery of the reel head, side and end walls secured fluid-tight to the edges of said. support and to the rcel head and the drum forming a closed receptacle under the ramp-like support, an opening through the said walls communicating with the interior of the reel, and a weathertight covering for the reel.

6. A watertight reel for holding and shipping electric cables comprising, in combination, a pair of reel heads, a drum to which the heads are secured with fluid tight joints, said heads and drum together constituting a watertight annular receptacle for receiving the cable, cable wound on said reel, a relatively inflexible, outer weathertight covering encircling the reel and secured to the circumferential edges of the reel heads affording mechanical protection as well as protection against the elements, and a layer of flexible material substantially impervious to moisture under and spaced inwardly from the outer weathertight covering and outside the space occupied by the outermost cable layer, said impervious layer being continuous circumferentially of the reel and continuously sealed at its edges to the respective reel heads spaced inwardly from their outer edges, to provide an open annular space between the layer of exible material and the outer weathertight covering within which the flexible impervious layer is free to dilate under pressure applied internally of the reel.

7. A cable reel according to claim 6 in which the spacing between the layer of flexible material and the outer weathertight covering is such that dilation of the layer is limited by the overlying weathertight covering to an amount which will not rupture the impervious material or injure the seals between its edges and the reel heads.

8. A watertight reel for holding and shipping electric cables comprising, in combination, a pair of reel heads, a drum to which the heads are secured with fluid tight joints, said heads and drum together constituting a watertight annular receptacle for receiving the cable, cable wound on said reel, a relatively inflexible, outer weathertight covering encircling the reel and secured to the circumferential edges of the reel heads affording mechanical protection as well as protection against the elements, flanges secured with fluid tight joints on the inner faces of the reel heads spaced slightly inwardly from their outer edges, and a layer of flexible material substantially impervious to moisture under and spaced inwardly from the outer weathertght covering and outside the space occupied by the outermost cable layer, said impervious layer being continuous circumferentially of the reel and continuously sealed at its edges to the flanges on the respective reel heads.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,719,703 Holt July 2, 1929 1,867,322 Meyer July 12, 1932 1,913,477 Daubmeyer et al. June 13, 1933 1,920,295 Lowy Aug. l, 1933 1,981,140 Bureau Nov. 20, 1934 2,156,357 Simpson May 2, 1939 2,457,094 Smith Dec. 21, 1948 2,507,028 Lockwood May 9, 1950 2,555,840 Bennett et al. June 5, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 250,293 Great Britain Apr. 8, 1926 

